AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I scowled at him. “I already scheduled a meeting with the principal. I’ve got two hours before I need to be there, and an assload of anger I’m trying to dispel. It takes a lot to piss me off, as you know.” Dropping to the ground, I sat on my ass, staring at the wall above Dax’s head. “I didn’t protect her.”
“She wasn’t yours to protect, back then. If she had been, you would’ve fucked that guy up badly before ripping his throat out—and I know, because I would’ve been there, helping you.”
That was probably true.
Tilting my head back, I closed my eyes. “I’m not good enough for her.”
“Is anyone good enough for their mate?”
I scowled again.
I didn’t know the answer, though.
I didn’t know any answers.
“I’ve probably screwed up and scared her a dozen times already without realizing it,” I mumbled.
Dax snorted, and I glanced over at him. “If you’d scared her that many times—or any time at all, I’d imagine—she wouldn’t trust you. Plus, you haven’t tried to make any decisions for her, and you’ve never gotten angry with her.”
I grimaced. “That’s true, I guess.”
Dax flashed me a tired grin. “You’re doing as well in the situation as anyone possibly could, man. Give yourself some credit.”
I nodded a bit.
He wasn’t wrong.
This was a difficult situation for all of us, but Lizzy and I were dealing with it. We were becoming friends, even. I wanted more—I would always want more. But friends was a solid first step, one I’d be thrilled to stand on for as long as she needed until she wanted more.
There was always a chance she would never want more, though. And if that was the case, we’d grow old as best friends, and I’d go out with a smile on my face because I’d taken care of my mate in exactly the way she wanted me to.
“Want me to watch Ev so you guys can go out tonight and get to know each other a little more?” Dax checked.
“Nah. She’s got an evening class, so I’ll have him. I think I’m going to try to talk her into going to dinner as a family afterward—we’ve never done anything just the three of us.”
His lips curved upward, a bit wistfully. “I never thought I’d be jealous of a guy whose female hunted him, but here I am.”
I chuckled. “You should be. I’m the luckiest damned werewolf. Have you met my kid? He’s hilarious.”
Though I knew she probably wouldn’t want me to call Evan my kid, yet, while talking to Dax, I couldn’t help it. He was mine—they both were. And I was proud of that.
“He’s pretty cool,” Dax agreed, his expression still wistful. “Can’t believe I’m the last unmated guy in the pack.”
“Ryder doesn’t have a mate,” I pointed out.
“Ryder had a mate, she was just a bitch.”
“Point made.” I nodded. “Is he still sleeping on your couch?”
“Yep.” Dax popped his lips on the P. “We get along great,” he drawled.
I grinned. “A sigma and a delta—the two biggest lone wolves in the pack, living together. Cute.”
“Easy for the Pack Papa to say,” Dax taunted.
My grin widened. “Guess I fit the title now, huh? Since I’ve got the oldest kid.”
Dax met my grin with his own. “Now every time you make a terrible joke, we can blame it on your dad status.”
I grabbed a boxing glove off the ground and threw it at his head as I stood, still grinning. “Thanks for the pep talk, asshole. See you later.”
“Does that mean you’re skipping dinner?” Dax called after me. “I think it’s at your place.”
“We’re out for tonight. Do it at yours,” I called back.
His groan made me chuckle as I headed back to my place.
